Thor-man

When you need to make an impression on your military adversary, it’s often useful to invoke the ancient God of War. Most religious traditions have (at least) one: even the usually pacifistic Buddhists can call upon some rather militant bodhisattvas when the Dharma needs protection from the forces of evil.

If your adversary is Kim Jong-il, you want to make sure that there’s no room for ambiguity or misinterpretation of any kind. That’s why the United States has sent no less a warrior than General James “The Hammer” Thurman (Thor-man) to Korea. Yep, in sending this particular cross-cultural message the USA is harking all the way back to the Norse discovery of America, evoking the mighty lightning god in its choice of military commander.

In an inauguration ceremony held on the U.S. base in Yongsan, central Seoul, U.S. Army Gen. James Thurman succeeded Gen. Walter Sharp as the commander of some 28,500 U.S. troops stationed [at the base in Korea]. Thurman will also be in charge of the United Nations Command (UNC) and the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC).

Thurman said both countries are “prepared to honor our commitments, provide stability, deter conflict and, if we must, fight and win. This alliance stands ready to counter any provocation intended to destabilize the Korean Peninsula.”

And because body language can speak louder than mere words, take a look at the General’s salute: